Les Entrep’ Bourgogne, “THE” event for all budding entrepreneurs

Les Entrep’, good training for entrepreneurship 

Jean-Rémy Chardonnet, Deputy Director of the Chalon-sur-Saône Institute, also serves as the PEIT coordinator for the Cluny campus. He supports students who have an entrepreneurial idea, as well as those who already have a business plan and want to develop it, starting in their first year of Grande Ecole Engineering Programme.  
Les Entrep’ Bourgogne is one of the key opportunities for students to test their entrepreneurial spirit. It also offers students an immersive experience in the world of entrepreneurship, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the practical aspects of starting a business. 

Professionals support and coach candidates  

In order to advise and guide the 14 candidates for this regional competition, three coaches are working on the Cluny campus:  

• Sophie Godillot, CEO of Alliance Achats Groupés Régionaux (Regional Group Purchasing Alliance); 
• Rodolphe Uhlmann, Innovation Manager at Grand Chalon; 
• Serge Veysset, independent consultant and facilitator in industrial product/service innovation. 

"My advice is to always ask future customers questions to avoid relying solely on assumptions and losing touch with market needs. It seems obvious, yet it's a fairly common mistake when building a business," says Sophie Godillot, coach for the Aloi project. 

Multidisciplinary teams to build connections

During their participation in Entrep’, candidates have five months to build their team and deliver a viable economic model for their product and the company that markets it, including a business model and business plan.
Team members come from different schools, which encourages open-minded thinking and draws on the skills acquired by students at their respective institutions. 

"Participating in Entrep' was an enriching experience for the entire Blendiz team. It immersed us in the heart of entrepreneurship, allowing us to test our limits and strengthen our team cohesion. Each step we took was an opportunity to acquire new skills, refine our vision, and validate our business model," explains the team.

Les Entrep’ Bourgogne: more than just a prize, a springboard

"We are actively considering the future of Aloi. We believe that further discussions are needed to determine the next steps. We are passionate about the project, but entrepreneurship requires time, dedication, careful consideration, and many other aspects that we cannot overlook," says the team. 

Beyond the Entrep’ program, the school offers a comprehensive pathway for students wishing to develop an entrepreneurial project during their studies, starting with the PEIT program available from the second year of Grande Ecole Engineering Programme, followed in the third year by the CREDA program at the Paris campus or the Master of Science P3 Master of Science at the Michel Serres Center. 
The awards ceremony on March 28 confirmed the inspiration of these young entrepreneurs: 4 out of 6 teams won awards. We wish these business projects a bright future. 

The 2024 winners

• Connected World Digital Award: Compagnotech, which aims to make IT accessible to all through workshops; 
• Favorite Award: Aloi develops software for companies to leverage data with AI; 
• Dream Team Award: Blendiz with a supplement dispenser in gyms; 
• Entrepreneurship Award: EPIC designs and markets smart clothing to reduce musculoskeletal disorders.